Use of green fuel planned at Hamburg Airport

Hemmingstedt, Hamburg – Jürgen Wollschläger, managing director of Raffinerie Heide, and Thorsten Luft, Vice President of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, signed a memorandum of understanding for the future production and purchase of synthetic kerosene in Hamburg on 14 February 2019. Raffinerie Heide and Deutsche Lufthansa have had a business relationship for many years for the supply of kerosene to Hamburg Airport. The two partners are looking to explore new directions in the future. With the production of environmentally friendly synthetic kerosene by Raffinerie Heide and the purchase of this fuel by Deutsche Lufthansa, both companies are investing in the energy source of the future. Hamburg Airport is also involved in the collaboration.

Raffinerie Heide, under the direction of the University of Bremen and together with five other partners from industry and science, has been involved in the KEROSyN100 research project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy since summer 2018. ‘The goal of this project is to produce renewable kerosene through the use of surplus wind energy generated locally. However, the production of the fuel alone is, of course, not enough. We also need a buyer. We are therefore particularly pleased to have gained a new partner in Deutsche Lufthansa AG, which enables us to provide a locally produced product to the local airport,’ highlights Jürgen Wollschläger. This is true to the concept of ‘Voller Energie für den Norden’ (energising the north), to which the company from Hemmingstedt has pledged its allegiance. Thorsten Luft adds: ‘Environmentally friendly air transport is an important goal for the Lufthansa Group. With this in mind, the company continuously invests in extremely fuel-efficient aircraft and is improving fuel efficiency in flight operations. We have been involved in the research and use of alternative fuels since 2011. I am therefore particularly happy that Raffinerie Heide, as a local and innovative supplier at Hamburg Airport, is working on introducing a sustainable alternative fuel with short transport distances.’

Hamburg Airport itself was represented by Michael Eggenschwiler, chairman of the board, at the signing of the memorandum of understanding. Michael Eggenschwiler explains why Hamburg Airport has got involved in this collaboration: ‘Alternative, green fuels are a vital issue for airports. We have been using synthetic diesel very successfully for over two years for our diesel vehicles on the apron. We are systematically switching to alternative energies wherever we can. The use of renewable fuel for aircraft is a further step in the right direction, which we are supporting and accompanying with complete conviction.’